Journalist beaten, threatened in North Caucasus

New York, December 23,
2008--Russian authorities should promptly investigate the attack on Zhanna
Akbasheva, a correspondent for the Regnum news agency in the republic of
Karachai-Cherkessia, in Russia's North Caucasus, the Committee to Protect
Journalists said today.

Akbasheva told CPJ that two men attacked her at around 5
p.m. on Monday when she was walking toward the office of a state-funded Cherkess-language
newspaper, Cherkess Heku, in
the regional capital, Cherkessk. The men punched her and kicked her, and
sustained damage to her abdomen. They also warned her to stop her work. She
reported the attack to local prosecutor's office.

Akbasheva covers corruption and press freedom issues in
Karachai-Cherkessia. She had recently written about a conflict between the
regional government and Cherkess Heku, which began after the newspaper decided not to follow a government
order to publish an open letter critical of the minority Circassian
population.

"Russian authorities must thoroughly investigate the attack
on Zhanna Akbasheva and bring those responsible to justice," said CPJ Deputy
Director Robert Mahoney. "It is absolutely unacceptable that Akbasheva has been
attacked and threatened for practicing the kind of investigative journalism
this region needs."

On the day of the
attack, Akbasheva had planned to meet with the Cherkess Heku staff to
follow up on the story. The journalist told CPJ that she was late for
the meeting and took a shortcut, when the two men suddenly approached and
attacked her. "One of them put his hand on my mouth and another started beating
me and saying that if I would not stop writing about certain government officials
I will feel even worse," she said.

Akbasheva said she could not see her attackers' faces, which
were covered. Vigen Akopian, Regnum's editor-in-chief, told CPJ the agency will
call on the general prosecutor's office and the Ministry of Interior to
investigate the attack.

Akbasheva said she had not received any threats recently but
had problems with the regional government after she started covering corruption
in the republic. Last summer, she was banned from entering a regional
government building and denied accreditation with state agencies. She was
denied entry for about a month and is still waiting for her accreditation.